Exploring the Ethics of Tuberculosis Human Challenge Models

Abstract

TB human challenge studies could accelerate TB vaccine development by reducing uncertainty in early-stage vaccine testing, selecting promising vaccine candidates for large-scale field trials, and identifying an immune correlate of protection. However, ethical concerns regarding the exposure of trial participants and bystanders to significant risk have been a limiting factor for TB human challenge models. We analyze the expected social value and risks of different types of TB human challenge models, and conclude that given the massive public health burden of TB, challenge models with even scant probabilities of expediting TB vaccine authorization have enormous expected humanitarian value, saving between 33,000 and 1,375,000 lives over the next ten years. We argue that attenuated M.tb challenge trials can be conducted ethically, and discuss the benefits and drawbacks of conducting virulent M.tb challenge trials.

Other Versions

original Rohrig, Abie; Morrison, Josh; Kleinwaks, Gavriel; Pugh, Jonathan; McShane, Helen; Savulescu, Julian (forthcoming) "Exploring the ethics of tuberculosis human challenge models". Journal of Medical Ethics ():

Links

PhilArchive

External links

  • This entry has no external links. Add one.
Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

  • Only published works are available at libraries.

Similar books and articles

The Challenge for Coronavirus Vaccine Testing.Bastian Steuwer - 2024 - Journal of Ethics and Social Philosophy 28 (1).

Analytics

Added to PP
2021-10-21

Downloads
756 (#27,204)

6 months
111 (#48,173)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Author Profiles

Jonathan Pugh
University of Oxford
Julian Savulescu
Oxford University

Citations of this work

No citations found.

Add more citations

References found in this work

Add more references